AUSTIN, Texas – A person with knowledge of the offer says Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson has accepted the athletic director's job at the University of Texas.

Patterson emerged late as a favorite for the job after West Virginia's Oliver Luck appeared most likely to succeed DeLoss Dodds, who is stepping down at Texas after 32 years.

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Patterson, who interviewed for the job over the weekend, has accepted an offer to take the Texas job, according to the person with knowledge who spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made.

Patterson will take over the country's wealthiest college athletic department with an annual budget of nearly $170 million. He also inherits questions over the job security of Longhorns coach Mack Brown and basketball coach Rick Barnes.